2009 NFL Player of the Day winner announced

Ryan Wolfson, an NFL trading card collector from Dallas, Texas turned one lucky pack of NFL player trading cards into one fantastic grand prize. Wolfson and his friends and family will “spend the day” with Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Patrick Crayton on March 20.

Wolfson, a passionate football card collector from Dallas, is one of the more than 200,000 NFL card collectors who participated in the 2009 NFL Player of the Day contest, which was sponsored at more than 600 hobby shops nationwide. He is among the thousands who earned prizes, but as the Grand Prize winner, the 14-year-old Cowboys fan will be the only one with the chance to spend a day with an NFL player.

The day will begin when Crayton attends a private party for Ryan’s friends and family. After the party, the family will take a limousine with the Cowboys star to their favorite hobby shop – Nick’s Sports Cards - 7522 Campbell Road #119 in Dallas. There, the community will join Ryan as winners when Crayton spends an hour signing free autographs and posing for photos.

At least 200 fans will collect a free autograph from Crayton at the event. Collectors can “reserve” a spot at the front of the line in advance by visiting Nick’s Sports Cards before March 19. All other autographs will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis. (Visit Nick’s Sports Cards or call 972-248-2271 for more information.)

“I am thrilled for Ryan and his family,” said Nick Redwine, owner of Nick’s Sports Cards. “He is a regular customer at my shop and a big football card collector and Cowboys fan. I’m glad to be a part of their special day.”

Ryan will also receive a $250 shopping spree to spend on NFL licensed products at Nick’s Sports Cards.

Ryan’s journey began when he uncovered the designated NFL Player of the Day from a pack of cards he purchased at the hobby shop. Each participating store selected a grand prize winner for a spot in the national sweepstakes. More than 100 collectors earned prizes in the national sweepstakes including autographed football and autographed NFL trading cards.

The 2009 NFL Player of the Day promotion included more than 600 hobby shops across the country. NFLPLAYERS, along with trading card licensees Panini, Topps and Upper Deck, coordinated the promotion. This marks the 10th consecutive year the NFL Player of the Day program has given an NFL card collector the chance to spend the day with an NFL player. Past players have included Steve Slaton, A.J. Feeley, Maurice Jones-Drew, Chris Simms, Rudi Johnson, Donald Driver, Ed McCaffrey, Chad Pennington and Frank Wycheck.